Guiteau Daft; Czolgosz Sane
So Says Attorney Scoville, Who Defended Assassin
of Garfield.
GUITEAU STOOD FOR SELF; CZOLGOSZ FOR A CLASS
No Man Believed as Guiteau, but Scoville Says That There Are Thousands
Who Agree with the Man Who Shot McKinley.
Logansport, Ind., September
21.—(Special.)—The dramatic features surrounding the plans for providing
Czolgosz with counsel recall the circumstances attending the defense
of Guiteau, the only other man ever brought to justice for the assassination
of a president of the United States.
While Czolgosz will have the services
of two eminent jurists in the persons of Hon. Loren L. Lewis and
Hon. Rover C. Titus, ex-justices of the supreme court of New York,
Garfield’s slayer had only one attorney—George Scoville—on whom
was visited the censure which the performance of such an unpleasant
task might be expected to invite, However, Attorney Scoville discharged
his duty with an ability and a dignity which earned the respect
and admiration of the members of the legal profession. He is an
old man now and resides at Bass Lake, a short distance north of
here. He has made that place his home for many years and is one
of the most highly respected citizens of Starke county. In politics
he is a democrat and during Bryan’s first campaign stumped the county
in behalf of his choice. He is a courtly, polished gentleman with
a high sense of the duties of citizenship.
When seen by your correspondent yesterday
he talked freely about his connection with Guiteau, and in discussing
the McKinley assassination said:
“As far as comparison between Guiteau
and Czolgosz is concerned, I think no similarity in the two cases
exists, so far as I have been able to judge from newspaper clippings
of the latter case. Guiteau was impelled to his deed by overweening
selfishness, amounting to insane egotism, whereas Czolgosz seems
to be only a type and executor of opinions founded upon social conditions
unsatisfactory to, and oppressive of, certain classes of the people.
Guiteau supposed he was commissioned, and was able, in his own person
and alone, to change an administration of the government which was
antagonistic to his views, but was only a temporary condition, by
removing the president, and that the people at large would applaud
his act. No one person coincided with that opinion. Czolgosz acted
as the exponent of a theory, founded upon a degree of truth quite
extensively admitted, that large classes of the people are oppressed
by existing conditions, social and political, for which there is
no remedy except force. Whatever may be said for or against such
a conclusion, no doubt there are rational views on each side held
by sane persons—honest people, and good citizens. Opinions cannot
be successfully combatted by force. But when the exponents of a
theory individually resort to force and commit crime, they should
and must suffer punishment. If, numerically, and not otherwise sufficiently
powerful, their act would be revolution, and if successful, would
neither merit nor receive punishment. The murderer of President
McKinley is only one man of an army, not yet at war, and so not
subject to the rules of war, but all reasoning and acting together.
There is no insanity in their ranks. If others can be connected
with him in plot or deed, they should and will be punished as he
will be. They all realize that, and accept the consequences. That
the forms and spirit of the law may prevail, and that nothing may
be done through revenge which impartial history will record to our
shame is my earnest prayer.”
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